The present invention relates to food products and with their methods of preparation. More particularly, the present invention relates to intermediate moisture food products such as dehydrated fruit products comprising a second crispy component and to their methods of preparation.
Wholesome snacks prepared from sweetened, intermediate moisture, shelf stable fruit or “fruit snacks” herein have long been popular food items. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,272,990, issued Oct. 18, 1941 to Forkner et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 2,650,880, issued Oct. 1, 1941 to A. M. Ericson).
Such wholesome fruit snack products are sold in various physical forms and shapes such as: 1) in rolled sheet form; 2) in rolled strip or ribbon form; 3) in string form mounted on a U-board; 4) soft center filled pieces, and 5) in gelled bite size pieces of various shapes or in gelled bite size pieces form prepared by starch molding. Generally, these products are prepared from wet mixtures of the various fruit materials and added ingredients that are dried to desired moisture contents. The dehydrated compositions are then formed into articles of desired shapes and sizes. In other variations, all or a portion of the fruit material is substituted with pure sugars. Such low fruit, high sugar formulations can be flavored with fruit flavors and/or other flavors. Within this general similarity, however, the particular methods of preparation, product formulations and apparatus used to prepare particular products vary considerably. Moreover, such variations are highly interdependent. Formulations and method steps suitable for one product form might or might not be suitable for another product form due to the processing difficulties, or desired end product attributes such as shape or texture.
Particularly popular products are in rolled sheet form such as are sold under the Fruit Roll-Ups brand. Popular products rolled strip form are sold under the Fruit By The Foot brand (see also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,455,053 entitled “Rolled Food Item” issued Oct. 3, 1995). Food products in string form mounted on a U-board are sold under the String Thing™ mark while other products in bite size pieces of various shapes are sold under various brands. (See, for example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,268 entitled “Embossed Shape Food Item” issued Aug. 24, 1999 to Zimmermann et al.). Soft center filled pieces products are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,236 entitled “Dual Textured Food Piece Of Enhanced Stability Using An Oil In Water Emulsion” (issued Mar. 18, 1988 to Langler et al.) while apparatus and fabrication methods therefor are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,059 entitled “Dual Textured Food Piece Fabrication Apparatus” (issued Jun. 10, 1992 to Dubowik et al.).
These dried fruit products are especially popular with children, particularly as snack or convenience foods. To continue to appeal to children, manufacturers must introduce frequent changes to such products. For example, the shapes of the products can be changed to employ currently popular character shapes such as from a movie, television show, cartoons, etc.
The present invention provides further improvements to such intermediate moisture products whereby a composite food product having a pleasing dual texture is provided by admixing the intermediate fruit with selected small crisp and crunchy direct expanded puffed cereal pieces that maintain their crisp texture properties over extended times. By selecting a continuous phase with a low water activity, the particulate cereal based particulates, maintain their desired crisp texture.